The authors of this “anti-dating dating book” start out by trashing their competition, the Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
/eHarmony dating industry, which, they claim, “are mixed drinks made with equal parts hubris and phoniness” and flatter and delude rather than providing a dose of tough love. Instead, Holloway and Robinson help the reader navigate the tricky world of dating (that “unfortunate yet necessary social endeavor”) without facile advice, adopting a wry, sardonic tone in chapter headings such as “The Death of Romance (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Paying Half As Much Rent” and “It’s Not Me, It’s You—and Your Erectile Dysfunction.” Their approach is refreshing, and they address every aspect of romantic etiquette—from online seduction to foolproof breakup lines. Though the hip older sibling shtick begins to grate by the book’s end, there is more than enough solid content to guide even the most timorous dater back into the fold. (Sept.)
